Public Statements

Ros-Lehtinen Resolution Approved by House; Condemns Use of Human Shields at Military Sites

Press Release

Ros-Lehtinen Resolution Approved by House; Condemns Use of Human Shields at Military Sites

The U.S. House of Representatives has condemned the use of civilians and prisoners to shield militarily sensitive sites, a practice increasingly used by Islamist terrorist groups.

The resolution, authored by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, specifically cites the use of innocents to shield rocket launching sites in Southern Lebanon operated by Hezbollah terrorists. The sites were used last summer to launch missile strikes against civilian targets in Israel.

"The willingness of groups such as Hezbollah to use civilians to shield their men from attack illustrates the depth of the depravity at the core of their violent agenda," said Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The use of human shields is an act of supreme cowardice, and must be condemned at every opportunity."

The resolution, H. Res.125, condemns the use of human shields, urges other responsible nations to condemn the practice and calls on experts in the field of international humanitarian law to recommend ways to further deter such violations of international law.

The practice is outlawed by the Geneva Convention which includes language that combatants "shall not direct the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations."